Farewell Charlotte...Farewell North Carolina...Farewell America. Thank you for your friendship, your generosity, your openness & honesty, and a huge thank you to C, V, T & G for your hospitality over the last three weeks (I'm returning alone...Ann is staying on for another week). Love & hugs to Janie & Bobert...here's to the next time, With love to you all, Nigel xxxxx

Sorry to be gone for so long. While in the nursing facility had bad wifi connection and also my iPad and Mudcat don't play well together for some reason. So I made few posts and mostly to the other thread.

But all of you have been in my thoughts. Was really sorry to not meet Nigel or to see Bobert and P Vine, but it was pretty fine to actually hear his voice on the telephone!

Glad your family is drying out maeve. Hope their homes were not entirely flooded.

Hope you are home and getting some sleep to recover from jet lag, Nigel.

I'm glad to read that Janie and Nigel and Ann are all back in their own homes and that VTam has arrived in the US. I really appreciate the updates and hope to see more when they and others are able to post.

Very happy to report that Ann & I were reunited yesterday. She stayed on an extra week...just can't drag herself away from beautiful North Carolina (and Belk, Barnes & Noble, Target, Michael's Craft Shop, Panera Bread...the list is practically endless). These long distance Family visits are particularly precious...every minute to be savoured. Here's to the next time, Slightly jet lagged Nigel & totally jet lagged Ann. Much Love to you All xxxxx

Thanks, ChanteyLass...our respective body clocks are completely out of sync...meal times; sleep times are five hours adrift & to add insult to injury, the clocks go back one hour tonight in the UK! Does this time zone business get harder the older one gets? With Love to You All, Nigel & Ann xxxxx

Nigel, my body does not like the time shifts, either, and it does get worse as I age. Janie, we are oppposites. I would like to keep the clocks as they are now year round! The later the sun rises and sets, the happier I feel!

My dad passed away this morning. I found him when I called on him, as i did most days. He was 90 and had got weaker, but I suppose no one is prepared for it when it happens. Tommy is chesty and excess secretions, so we hope and pray it don't turn into anything worse. Blessings crew.

so sorry to hear about your father passing.I hope all the happy memories will help to ease the pain of loss.Sometimes when our parents live such a long life we begin to think they will be with us forever.

You have always been so kind here on the Rainbow , all we can do is send back our love in abundance.

Sending Tommy love and positive healing thoughts and blessings to you and all your family

My eldest Grandson has just presented me with a framed 'collage' of my days with The Halliard. He's collated photos, CDs, press cuttings & personal tributes from Nic & Dave...all beautifully arranged & displayed under glass. He organised it for my birthday, back in September, but it took him a tad longer to finish than he'd anticipated! I have never received such a meaningful & thoughtful gift. The 'collage' comes from all my Grandchildren, but it's realisation is down to the efforts of just one. I feel like I've won an Oscar! Feeling very loved, Nigel xxxxx

Today at 1320 MST I must away to the barber-chirgeon to have a tooth (which is not bothering me) extracted. Because the fellow with the pull is an oral surgeon and because stitches will be involved, there will be IV anesthesia -- my third general anesthesia so far this year. I'm getting tired of this! (And the tooth, my last wisdom tooth and so later today I will no longer be wise, really isn't painful or anything but it is rotten.)

Good luck, Rap. When I had my top wisdom teeth out, I came out of the anesthesia demanding butterscotch pudding. The next day, I sneezed an almighty sneeze and popped a stitch. This lead to the discovery that the roots of one of those teeth had been embedded in my sinus cavity when I gargled later that day and salt water came shooting out my nostril.

Wishing you speedy recovery from the tooth rap,but I am sure your wisdom will remain intact! Nigel what a treasure to keep forever,a beautiful gift,grandchildren ,how blessed we are to have them! I found out today that our little Prudence is going to be Mary in the Nativity play,have waited for years to have a grandchild be Mary! BUT! Hold onto your hats,Billy and I are going to the States for Thanksgiving for the first time in 12 years so we will miss the play! Have big misgivings leaving mother for 2 weeks but have live in care and my daughter will be in charge. So New Jersey look out we are on our way ! With love Wendy xxxxx

Wishing you speedy recovery from the tooth rap,but I am sure your wisdom will remain intact! Nigel what a treasure to keep forever,a beautiful gift,grandchildren ,how blessed we are to have them! I found out today that our little Prudence is going to be Mary in the Nativity play,have waited for years to have a grandchild be Mary! BUT! Hold onto your hats,Billy and I are going to the States for Thanksgiving for the first time in 12 years so we will miss the play! Have big misgivings leaving mother for 2 weeks but have live in care and my daughter will be in charge. So New Jersey look out we are on our way ! With love Wendy xxxxx

Wishing you speedy recovery from the tooth rap,but I am sure your wisdom will remain intact! Nigel what a treasure to keep forever,a beautiful gift,grandchildren ,how blessed we are to have them! I found out today that our little Prudence is going to be Mary in the Nativity play,have waited for years to have a grandchild be Mary! BUT! Hold onto your hats,Billy and I are going to the States for Thanksgiving for the first time in 12 years so we will miss the play! Have big misgivings leaving mother for 2 weeks but have live in care and my daughter will be in charge. So New Jersey look out we are on our way ! With love Wendy xxxxx

All went well, or so I'm told, and I have the tooth complete with gold crown. Apparently the oral surgeon had to take out some bone to get the tooth out. I'm on painkillers (no, really!?) again. This is the third time this year I've had general anesthesia and while it's relaxing I'm tired of the aftereffects of pain, swelling, painkillers, ice packs, and so on.

As for my wisdom: my high school closed, my college changed its name, my first grad school closed, the grad school I graduated from closed, and the program for the third grad school changed when the prof ramroding the program left. If my grammar school closes I won't know anything...and now my wisdoms are gone.

Thinking of Pete and his family, Lisa and her son, and the men, women, and families around the world who have used their bodies, minds, and souls to act with honor and courage in times of conflict- we remember and learn.